Bud Freeman, born Lawrence Freeman on April 13, 1906, in Chicago, Illinois, was a pioneering American jazz musician known for his distinctive tenor saxophone style. He began his musical journey in 1922 when he and his high school friends formed the Austin High School Gang, initially playing the C melody saxophone before switching to tenor saxophone in 1925. Influenced by the New Orleans Rhythm Kings and Louis Armstrong, Freeman developed a unique sound characterized by smooth legato melodies and a robust swing.

In 1927, Freeman moved to New York City, where he became a prominent session musician, working with notable figures such as Red Nichols, Roger Wolfe Kahn, and Joe Venuti. His 1933 solo on Eddie Condon's recording "The Eel" earned him the nickname due to his snake-like improvisations. Freeman played with Tommy Dorsey's Orchestra and Benny Goodman's band before forming the Summa Cum Laude Orchestra.

During World War II, Freeman led a U.S. Army band in the Aleutian Islands. Post-war, he returned to New York, collaborating with musicians like Buck Clayton and Ruby Braff. Freeman also ventured into Broadway, writing the book and lyrics for the musical "Beg, Borrow or Steal" in 1960. He spent time in England in the 1970s, continuing to perform and record, before returning to Chicago in 1980.

Freeman authored two memoirs and an autobiography, and in 1992, he was posthumously inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame. He passed away on March 15, 1991, in Chicago, leaving behind a legacy as one of the first influential tenor saxophonists in jazz.